Installing programs on the memory card

[martinreed]

I recently bought second hand Treo 650 and am absolutely delighted with it. With the help of the posts on the site about software I installed Agendus, PdaNet Password Pro and a couple of games. I also have some other software to install like ZLauncher, Ringo Pro and MVoice but I am not sure of the phones memory capacity. I bought a 250 MB card and when I synched Password Pro I installed the installation program on the card. It then installed itself on the phone and didn't give the option of installing it on the card.
I now get occassional out of memory messages and assume I should install the programs on the card. Unfortunately when I got the phone I didn't get a manual so I am not sure how to do this. I am sorry if this is a stupid question but I would appreciate your help.
Thanks

[benjie]

The Treo 650 has limited "user" memory. What that means is that if you put too much on it, it will not run properly - resets, et cetera. ZLauncher is a good start; it has a learning curve but once you get past that, it does very, very well.

With ZLauncher you can move everything that does not need to be in main memory to the SD card. Those that cannot be placed on the SD card and operate properly are those applications that monitor alarms and activities, mVoice, mSafe, Agendus, et cetera. Specifically, your mail program if it runs at a specific time or every so often. An alarm clock application such as MobileClock - an application that has to be there to interact with another application, ZLauncher itself, et cetera.

Those programs that can reside on the card can be in a couple of places. If it is an application that does not produce any associated data files can be in /palm/launcher. If the application has bunches of files that go with it, use the ZLauncher application folders. As a note, you can put multiple applications in one ZLauncher application folder and all of the contents in that folder will be moved to main memory, launched and upon application termination moved back to the SD card. ZLauncher saves you memory.

Now, if you have around 5mb or so after doing the ZLauncher thing, you will be a candidate for the reset disease. If you are about 3mb or so then you will have problems. Shortcuts are considered applications, so use them if needed, do not if you do not need them. As a note, large applications can take time to launch using ZLauncher.

"Out of memory" has a couple of things that go with it. First it means you are low on memory; it does not though tell you what type of memory you are low on. As mumbled above, 3mb or so is reset time. 5mb or so is tight. 7+ is not too bad. Another thing about memory though is that there is more to it than just that. Specifically db cache. DB cache is an integral part of the Palm OS file structure and what a pain it can be. When the db cache gets low or badly fragmented, resets can happen. Monitoring this part of memory is important in terms of gaining and maintaining (love those 'ing) stability.

There are two programs that allow you to monitor and free the db cache; I use MemoryInfo 1.1. When the "low memory" message is displayed, run MemoryInfo and take a look at the DB cache - I betcha it will be low. Have MemoryInfo release the db cache and gosh you will see an indication of an available db cache memory increase. With MemoryInfo it is not normally required to perform a soft reset to regain memory and the good thing is that MemoryInfo can live happily on the SD card in /Palm/launcher.

There are other applications to look at that will also increase the stability of your device, though that stability will still give you problems due to the lack of memory the 650 has. Therefore it is important to maximize that free memory and that is where ZLauncher excels. Anyway, there are a few applications that work to increase the stability of the 650s file system. Take a look at Resco Backup and Butler. In addition, the 650 is also prone to loss of saved preferences and that issue is addressed by Preference Doctor, same company as Butler. In addition, due to the reset problem of the 650, there will be times when it resets or the db cache is cleared that you may loose an application (rare) or loose an application's associated files and that problem is addressed by OnGuard.

If your applications have options to save to the SD card, then select that option. With the 650 avoid putting as much into main memory as possible, keeping only those things that have to run in the background (alarms, getting mail, playing a sound file automagically) in the device's main memory.

I am not familiar with Password Pro - it can probably go to the card. Ringo Pro has to be in main memory as does Agendus and ZLauncher. Your games go to the card. The manual can be downloaded from Palmone.

Ben